


Words Left Unheard Are Often Most Important

by Anastasia_Fry27



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, BAMF Krolia (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Cinnamon Roll Hunk Garret, Detective Lance (Voltron), F/F, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gay Keith (Voltron), Hacker Pidge | Katie Holt, Illnesses, Keith is actually good with people in small amounts, Krolia (Voltron) is a Good Parent, M/M, Mute Keith (Voltron), Mystery, Real tags? Don't know her, Slow Burn, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), The Author Regrets Nothing, what the fuck is a heterosexual
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-09-02 19:43:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16793527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anastasia_Fry27/pseuds/Anastasia_Fry27
Summary: Keith, a mute patient at Altea hospital being treated for Chronic Bronchitis, is the only witness to a high-scale murder.With little evidence, the police must rely on their only person who witnessed the murder... But suspicion begins to build up after another incident occurs.With tension filling the air, and trust rubbed thin, what will our so-called hero's do?Will the police be able to find the criminals running this trail of chaos, or will the case go cold?That my dear, is up to you.[ON HIATUS]





	1. These Barren Walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR Credit to @sothiira on Instagram.
> 
> She dreamt the basic story line. She drew her dream and I squealed when I saw the pictures so I got her permission and wrote this mess.  
> (The Mute!Keith and Detective!Lance and the Bronchitis and Keith being the only witness. I won't say more because spoilers) 
> 
> CHECK HER OUT.

**11:56 AM, October 12, 2017**

105.

It took one hundred and five steps for Keith to walk to the end of his fourth floor hallway, uninterrupted and in a straight line.

It took two hundred and ten if he walked heel to toe.

Keith had become used to routine.

Everything in the hospital worked like clockwork, the few surprises far away from his semi-isolated room.

New patients were wheeled in and out, countless coming in and leaving throughout the years.

He stopped growing attached after years of his friends being stripped from him.

It took fifty-three steps to reach the nurses station, and seventy-one to reach the vending machines.

Lunch was served at seven O'clock every night, and afterward the nurses would check on the elder people, giving out medication, then set out for the smaller kids.

It was rare they strayed from this, at least on his floor.

The lower floors housed less permanent patients, and sometimes he could hear shouting at night.

One night he couldn't sleep due to the screams of an old woman.

He appreciated the schedule, but he grew bored.

It was times like these, when he was bored out of his mind he would sit in his seat by the window and draw on his tablet.

He was drawing his friend, her dark skin glowing in the light of the sun her drew above her.

These drawings reminded him he wasn't completely alone.

He had his friend childhood friend Allura, who had surprised him one day, barging into his room in the middle of the day.

Keith closed his eyes as he remembered the day.

* * *

**10: 34 AM, January 26, 2015**

"Keith, I have surprise for you!" Allura had smiled brightly, sitting in the seat beside his bed. She took his pale hands her own chocolaty ones, and rubbed her thumb over the back of his.

 _"What?"_ Keith mouthed.

"So, you know how I had to take that really big test and I was studying my arse off?" She said, her blue eyes sparkling. Keith nodded. "Well... That test was my last test for medical school! I'm a nurse in training!" Keith's eyes grew to a size that rivaled dinner plates.

He knew Allura was smart.

Like _really_ smart.

She had graduated high school at sixteen for crying out loud, but he hadn't know she had finished medical school already.

Keith shook his head, and Allura laughed. She pulled out the large envelope she had been holding when she walked into the room. How had he not noticed that? She handed it to him.

"There's my plaque, go on, open it up." Keith hesitated, then titled his head up towards her, and raised an eyebrow. "Why? You're my inspiration. You're the reason I wanted to be a nurse." Allura's smile grew. "I want to help people like you, so go ahead!" Keith beamed, then with stiff fingers, opened the envelope. He pulled out a frame made of a dark, dark wood, polished until it glowed in the bright hospital lights. Her certificate gleamed back at him, spotless and as official looking as can be. He ran a finger over the dark wood, reading the words over and over.

He placed it on his lap, keeping his hands on it, and smiled widely.

 _"Thank you."_ He mouthed.

"No problem! Now for the next surprise!" Allura clapped her hands once. "My Uncle Coran is going to be the one training me! So..." Allura pulled a hospital badge, and waved it in her hand.

Keith raised his hands, swiftly signing his unimpressed words. _"That's a normal badge."_

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "I'm going to be a nurse in training here, and I'm going to be one of the two nurses taking care of you!" Keith gasped.

_"You and Shay?"_

"Yup!"

 _"Congratulations!"_ He signed. _"We should go out to celebrate!"_

"I thought you were going with Krolia today?"

_"You can come with us, Mom would love to see you again, it's been a while."_

"I have missed your mom... Alright, tonight we'll party. And by that I mean that if your mom allows, we'll go all the way to Vrepit Sal's."

Keith clapped his hands, grinning. 

* * *

**12:03, October 12, 2017**

Keith opened his eyes slowly, letting the images fade away.

With a few strokes of his pen, he finished the landscape behind her, swiftly drawing his watermark and setting the pen down.

Not a moment later, his door opened.

"Hello Keith!" Allura beamed, her long white hair pulled up in a bun. "I'm here to check your vitals as usual. What are you drawing this time?" Keith held up his tablet, holding it our for her to take. She crossed the room with long, graceful strides, and took the tablet from him.

Her smile melted, turning sweet as her eyes glowed.

"This is beautiful Keith, thank you."

 _"Happy two year anniversary of you becoming a nurse!"_ When Keith finished signing he made jazz hands.

"You remembered!"

 _"I've been stuck in this hospital for years. Do you actually think I have the option to forget? Literally nothing happens here."_ He deadpanned.

"I love that even without being able to speak you've mastered the art of sarcasm and saltiness." Allura crossed her arms, a grin on her face. 

_"I try. Buy me a new book next time your out please."_

"You've got it, now come on, I need to check your vitals and move on."


	2. The Pumpkin Fiasco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All I shall say about this chapter...
> 
> Y E E T.

**2:00 PM, October 14, 2017**

"Okay man, true test now, Ketchup or Mustard."

"I have no idea what the hell you guys are talking about and I honestly am frightened to ask, so I'm just going to say what I came to. Hunk I'd like a bacon egg and cheese please."

"Sure, I'll be right back." Hunk turned and walked into the kitchen, the doors swinging shut behind him.

"We were talking about what we would put onto a hotdog smoothie." Lance explained, then took a bite of his omelet. Pidge gagged, climbing onto her stool and setting her backpack between her feet.

"You two never fail to amaze me with how much disappointment you can shove into a single sentence.

"And you never fail to be a soulless college student." Pidge glared.

"I'm literally in all of your classes." Hunk appeared at the bar, sliding a hot bacon egg and cheese on a plain bagel and a steaming cup of coffee.

"Thank you Hunk." Pidge fishes out her wallet, drops some bills on the table, and sets to work on her meal.

"So whatever is the exciting news your wanted to share with us?" Hunk asks. Despite it being two in the afternoon, the diner was quite empty. The only sounds came from crashing pots from the kitchen and the buzz of half-dead college students eating and talking about the upcoming weekend.

"I finally finished my initial training! I can go on cases now!" Pidge and Hunk clapped.

"Congrats! You're now a college student and an investigator." Hunk smiled.

"Hey! I'm going to be a very well respected and educated one!"

"And an extremely sleep deprived one." Pidge grumbled with a smirk. Lance elbowed her.

"Alright, alright, let's finish eating, and then I'll keep my promise." Pidge sighed.

"Whoop!" Hunk and Lance put their hands in the air.

* * *

**6:58 PM, October 14, 2017**

"Can we get this one?" Lance held up a large pumpkin over his head, nearly falling over backwards with the effort.

"No." Pidge said, scrolling through something on her phone. "Get something bigger."

Hunk grinned. "How about this one?"

"You uncultured swines. Can you please get a huge one. I want something worth my money and if this prank is gonna work it's gotta be big." Pidge turned off her phone and put it away.

"What about that one?"

"Let's go deeper." The continued through the pumpkin patch, occasionally stopping to judge the size of the bigger ones.

"How about-"

"OH MY MEMES, LOOK!" Pidge scrambled over a cluster of pumpkins, luckily not damaging them with her size. Hunk and Lance hurried around the pile, and watched in amazement as Pidge pulled out her phone. There was a fight happening in the large pumpkin patch, a teenage boy holding a large pumpkin over his head. A man was yelling and pointing at the boy angrily as a girl held a phone and seemed to be playing peacemaker.

Pidge opened SnapChat and began recording. The man shoved the teenage boy back, making the girl yell.

After regaining his balance the boy threw the pumpkin at the man, grabbed the girls arm, and ran in the opposite direction.

"OH MY MEME GODS THIS IS AMAZING." Pidge yelled. She cupped a hand around her mouth while still recording. "RUN BRAVE BOY RUN." The teenager disappeared into the trees surrounding the patch, and Pidge zoomed in on Hunks shocked face and Lance actually lying on the ground with laughter.

Silence fell upon the field.

The video ended, and Pidge quickly saved it and posted it to her story.

"I cannot believe I just witnessed God himself come onto this field before me." Pidge whispered.

"I thought you only worshiped that meme cult." Hunk asked.

"Irrelevant." Pidge waved her hand dismissively.

"Okay, that's enough of human beings for today. Let's go home." Lance was holding his forehead. "He threw the pumpkin and frickin' ran." He muttered.

"Yup. He did. Let's take this here sturdy one." Pidge patted the one she had stood on when recording.

"At this point, I'll take whatever. That was amazing." Hunk laughed at Lance's dazed words.

"Alright, let's go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the first chapter has been up as of now for about four hours and it has just over 50 Hits and I think my heart is broken????? Like it froze then started beating like I had just run a marathon????? Thank ya'll, so here's the second chapter!


	3. A Trip Downtown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk is a good cinnamon roll and Keith officially hates his lungs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Makes Prayer Hands*  
> *Deep Inhale*  
> B O I.
> 
> 8 days.  
> 8 days since I posted the last chapter, and thus because of school the last time I checked this...  
> Not only did the hits double, they TRIPLED.
> 
> THANK YOU.  
> (More at the end)
> 
> Now please enjoy the chapter, I'm so excited to get into this ladies, gents and non-binary friends. I sincerely hope you enjoy.

**5:02 PM, October 15, 2017**

"Hunk I am telling you I need to find this boy and befriend him." Pidge exclaimed over the phone.

"I know you do, but what can you do?"

"Hack into every security network." Pidge deadpanned.

"I... Alright. Just don't get caught. I'm starting my volunteer shift at the hospital now, I'll talk to you later." Hunk said goodbye, then pressed the end call button on his steering wheel. He parked in his usual spot, then got out of his car. As he made his way across the parking lot, he clipped his badge to his shirt.

"Ah, hello Hunk!" The nurse at the station beamed.

"Plaxum! I haven't seen you in a while! If I had known you'd be back I would have made some cookies!"

"You're sweet as ever. I was on leave, my mother was sick."

Hunk frowned. "I hope she's feeling better."

"She is! Thank you for the concern. Go on up, I'll sign you in." Hunk waved goodbye and boarded the elevator, riding it up to the fourth floor. When he reached his destination, he stepped out, careful to avoid jostling the old man in the wheelchair.

"Hello Hunk!" Hunk turned and saw a tall woman with dark skin clutching her clipboard to her chest. She smiled, one hand playing with one of her large white hoop earrings her short brown hair did nothing to hide.

"Hello Shay!"

"Allura's checking on Keith's vitals now, but you can go on in."

"Thank you! See you later!" Shay waved, then turned back to the nurses station. Hunk made his way down the floor, turning at the end of the hall and knocking on Keith's door. Allura looked up from her place beside his bed, her white bun bobbing when she did.

"Ah! Hello Hunk! You and Keith can go out in a few minutes." Allura went back to taking Keith's blood pressure.

"Hey man, how ya feeling?" Hunk sat in the chair opposite the nurse, and playing with his own index fingers.

_"I feel fine."_ Keith signed. _"I had a small episode earlier but I really wanna go out tonight."_

Hunk took a deep breath. "We will, let's just finish your vitals."

_"Okay."_ Keith nodded. A few minutes later, Allura patted Keith's arm and stood, scribbling something on a clipboard.

"He's good. Have fun you two!" Allura smiled.

"We will! Ready to go buddy?" Keith nodded, standing up from the bed. Keith grabbed his messenger bag, slinging it over his shoulder, and they walked side by side down the hall.

"Hunk! Keith! Be back before evening rounds, yeah?"

"Of course Dr. Yankovics!" Hunk yelled back as he stepped into the elevator. Keith waved to the nurses watching from the station, and he watched them wave back as the doors closed.

"Okay, so I found this store I think you're really going to like, and it's right by that store I've been telling you about. We'll take my car and park in the parking lot by cafe okay?"

Keith raised his fist into the air. _"More than okay! I finally leave the hospital and it's going to be something actually fun instead of hanging around in a science lab."_ Keith signed. He pretended to cough, signing the name "Shiro" over and over as he did so.

"Wow. No man, we're going to go have some fun."

_"Speaking of fun."_ Keith stopped as the doors opened, and they hurried past Plaxum and into the cool air. _"Allura and I may have gotten into a teeny bit of trouble yesterday..."_

Hunk glanced at Keith as he pulled his car out of his spot.

"What did you two do?" Hunk paused at then end of the row.

_"Well now we're driving so you'll have to wait."_ Keith dropped his hands into his lap.

"Ah yeah, sorry man. But trust me, you're gonna love this area!"

Keith nodded.

**5:23 PM, October 15, 2017**

"Oky man, here we are!"

_Cryptid Central._

_"Oh my god."_ Keith signed. _"I was wondering why you brought me to a dark park of the downtown."_

Hunk laughed, the sound echoing in the small area. "The air is also less polluted over here because it's not so busy."

_"Mothman himself built this didn't he. Just for me."_ Keith stared at the store with eyes rivaling the size of dinner plates.

"Come one." Hunk waved his hand.

When they stepped into the store, Keith immediately began coughing. Hunk turned around with such speed a leopard would be jealous, and pushed Keith right back out the door. Keith leaned against the wall outside, one hand on cool brick while the other covered his mouth. A small amount of phlegm coated his hand, and when his fit subsided, Hunk handed him a wipe. Keith was dully aware of Hunk rubbing circles on his back, whispering soothing words as he did.

"Stupid incense. We should go back..." Keith shook his head.

"You want to stay?" He nodded.

"But you can't go in!" Keith pointed at him.

"You want me to- Alright. Stay here, alright? I'll go in and buy you whatever it is you want man." Keith nodded, staring through the window, then pointed at a shirt in the far back of the store, hanging from a hook above an archway.

"That's it?" Keith nodded. "Alright then." Hunk glanced back at Keith, who pressed his sleeve to his mouth and nose. Hunk sighed, then disappeared inside.

Keith lowered himself to the ground slowly, until he sat on the pavement and leaned against the brick building. The area around the shop was dark and small, but was far enough from the city that you could see the stars. The shop fronts all faced one small central plaza, three of the four buildings were open, including _Cryptid Central._ A small street, too small for a car but big enough for a few people to walk past each other without being too cramped. Keith rested the back of his head against the cool brick, closing his eyes and breathing in the crisp night air. It was nothing compared to the air in the forest, but this part of town wasn't too bad. 

Keith's head snapped forward.

He hadn't really hear that, had he?

He heard the sound again, quieter now, a behind the big toy shop beside store he was leaning against.

There was the faintest click.

And then a whimper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't express how happy I am. I've been posting fics for about... Three months?
> 
> And yes I always hope people would read my stuff, and dreamed of people actually enjoying my crap, but to achieve this amount of feedback in such a short time is something I never truly believed would happen to me. I say this every time, but thank you. 
> 
> I am looking forward to making this as well written as I can, and as consistent as I can.
> 
> I read every comment, and squeal over every Kudo and view, so please leave a kudo, and a comment... Or two... I swear I do read them multiple times.
> 
> Thank You!!


	4. Pick. And. Choose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish you all well in your recovery from season 8 tomorrow. I'll be here to console you all soon after. I'll have time to write this weekend, so I hopefully will have more chapters in my buffer.

**5:27 PM October 15, 2017**

Keith stilled, the night silent other than the faint noise of cars far away.

The whimper had definitely been human, growing up in a hospital he knew what one sounded like.

Slowly, Keith crept forward, sticking to the stone walls of the building. He pressed himself to the wall as he shuffled along, freezing ever few moments when he thought he heard something.

_How big is this toy shop_. Keith thought bitterly. His hands were pressed against the jagged stones of the wall as he neared the end, and the gravel beneath his legs dug into him through his jeans.

Finally, after what only could have been a minute but what felt like hours; He had reached the end. Crates were stacked in the mouth of the alley, and Keith crouched behind one as he heard another whimper.

There was the click again, metal against metal. Keith swallowed hard. It sounded an awful lot like the guns on the shows he watched on his laptop. Keith peered around the side of the crate, the darkness of the area hiding him completely.

Farther into the alley, a small oil lamp sat on the ground, the flame dancing in it's cage.

A person stood tall in the darkness, the front of their black suit illuminated the small light. Keith clasped a hand to his mouth to silence his sharp intake of breath. A woman knelt on one side of the lamp, her back to him. Her hands were bound behind her back and she was on her knees, a gag tied around the back of her head, ruining her perfect golden blonde hairdo. A man in a silver tuxedo knelt opposite her, in the same position, fear blatant in his blue eyes. The man in the suit stood with his arm extended, a small handgun in his hand pointed at the spot in the wall just between the two.

"What shall we do with these two?" A cold voice cooed. She sat on a crate behind the kneeling man, wearing a skintight black suit and a grey bandana tied around her face. The only trait he could see of her face were her dark brown eyes, and her relaxed eyebrows that shot up in excitement. She clapped her hands, making the man and woman cower. "We should stick to the plan shouldn't we? We did plan a lot of fun!"

"Shut it." Silver-Suit growled. The girl rolled her eyes, playing with a strand of her raven hair.

"He's right. The time draws near. It is time to decide young man. You, or her." Another figure walked from the shadows behind silver-tux, a hood over his head and a red bandana tied around his own face. Keith couldn't see many details, only catching the side of his eyes. He raised a hand, and the girl hopped off her box, ripping the gag from the kneeling mans mouth. He sucked in a breath immediately, letting out a quiet cry. The man holding the gun drove the bottom into the mans head, not too hard, but there was a small crack.

"It is time for you to have your final wish. This is your last act, the last decision you will make that will make an impact on this world." The man paused, raising the gun again. "Pick and choose."

The girl had her hands on her hips. "Which on will die?"

The other man with the red bandanna leaned down in his face. "Which will be brought to justice?" The man was shaking.

Silver-Tux spoke up, amusement rolling off his tongue as he spoke. "Both of you have broken laws, caused chaos, ruined lives... Who will die?"

"I will be brought to justice!" The man called out, his voice shaking. "Don't hurt me, take her! I'll pay you!" The girl laughed, red bandanna scoffed, and silver-tux leveled his gun.

It pointed directly at the kneeling mans head.

"You have chosen for your actions to be brought to justice, so they will."

Silver-Tux pulled the trigger and the man fell to the ground. The kneeling woman squealed and began shaking violently.

"Get her into the vehicle." Red bandanna said to the female. The raven haired woman nodded, and hauled the blonde up to her feet, dragging her deeper into the dark.

Silver-Tux shook the gun, and turned to face the man in the red bandanna. He froze, staring straight at Keith's crouching figure.

"You! Come out!"

Naturally, Keith obeyed.

His body screamed at him, and he listened.

Keith turned on his heel, and ran back to the Cryptid store, feet crunching on gravel. Keith took the small set of stairs two at a time and burst into the shop, breathing heavily. The incense hit him like a brick wall and he choked.

"Woah buddy. What's wrong?" A large figure hurried up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Hunk.

Safe.

Hunk spun him around again, and soon he was back in the cold air.

He only really registered movement when Hunk was shaking his shoulders, holding an inhaler and cloth in one hand as he stared at Keith in concern. Two employees form the Cryptid store knelt before him, rubbing his leg, and watching with concern.

"You alright? What the hell happened to your hands?" Hunk exclaimed. Keith shook his head, still panting for breath.

"My car isn't far from here, the ambulance will take too long and I have a special pass. Help me get him there please." Hunk said to the employees, who nodded.

They half dragged, half carried Keith to the parking lot, and the next thing Keith knew Hunk was speeding through the streets.


	5. A Quick Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith awakens to a friendly face.
> 
> This time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, or happy holidays!
> 
> So I went a whole week without updating, and while normally this doesn't bother me... Well I left ya'll on a huge cliffhanger. I shall have mercy this once, and here, in celebration of my holiday break, is a short chapter of fluff. Don't get too excited. Original chapter five is now chapter six, and that is another angst filled chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy~

******7:28 AM October 16, 2017**

Keith awoke in the hospital, a mask over his mouth and his blinds wide open. Groaning, he tried to turn away but stopped when he felt something tugging his arm.

He sat up slowly, blinking, and his heart sank immediately. In the seat beside his bed sat a woman with deep purple hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes were closed, but he knew her eyes were such a dark blue they seemed to be the same color as her dyed hair. She had fair skin, and was leaning on one arm as she slept.

This wasn't the first time he had woken up to her sleeping beside his bed while still wearing her work clothes.

She suddenly jerked awake, staring at him for a moment before smiling the small sad smile she always wore when he had a close call.

"Hey Keith. How are you feeling?" Her eyes were soft as she leaned forward towards him.

Keith raised his hands to begin signing, but froze when he felt the bandages. He stared down at the white bandages wrapped around his knuckles, and the brace on his right wrist.

He looked up at her, tilting his head to the side.

"Your hands were in bad shape when you got here, so Allura wrapped them up. And your wrist is strained. You can't really explain what happened unless... Well, I won't push you." She smiled at his, brushing a strand of hair off his cheek. "Hold up the fingers, how uncomfortable?"

Keith held up five.

"And pain?"

Keith shrugged, one finger extended.

"That's good. You gave us all quite a scare."

Keith nodded. _Do you have work today mom?_ He mouthed.

"No, I came straight here after Hunk called me. I'm staying here today."

Keith smiled but shook his head. _You don't have too. I feel fine, really._

"I can't see long sentences through the mask."

_Mom. I'm fine. Go home._ He raised an eyebrow, and she scoffed.

"As if."

_You're making me feel bad. Go home._

She narrowed her eyes, but sighed.

"I... Alright. But call me as soon as they clear you to take off the mask. I want to talk to you." She squeezed his shoulder, her phone ringing. She hesitated, but he reached out and pushed her elbow.

"I love you." She leaned over and kissed his forehead, smoothing his hair back.

_I love you too._ She left the room, looking back at him before she closed the door.

He laid back against his pillows, and stared at the ceiling.

Scared eyes stared back, a strong memory from the night before.


	6. A Life Changing Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is an intense description of a panic attack throughout a majority of this chapter.  
> Everything will be touched upon later in lighter ways, I promise you will just receive the in depth information a little later. At the end of the chapter, in the notes will be a summary. Please, take care lovelies.

**7:32 AM, October 17, 2017**

The memory wouldn't leave.

The panicked look in the man's eyes as he struggled for only a moment to make the choice.

The woman's muffled sobs.

The gunshot.

Her scream through the gag.

The memory was burned into his head.

The images kept flashing before his eyes, even as he tightened his hands around the sheets of his bed.

A woman had been kidnapped.

A man had been murdered.

The culprits had gotten away.

All because of him.

Because he'd been scared, and froze up when it mattered.

  


Keith felt everything around him zoom out, then zoom back in, in the span of a second. He was cold, so cold, and he was shivering.

People were dead because of him.

Again.

First it was his dad, the house fire.

He would have gotten out if he hadn't had to go back for Keith.

He'd be alive and happy and healthy with his wife.

It was all Keith's fault.

A woman was scared, and missing, and a man was dead and-

He let out a quiet sob.

No one could look for them properly.

No one else knew what the culprits looked like, or where they'd last been seen but Keith himself. And he couldn’t even speak.

That man's body could be laying there right now, undiscovered.

There was smoke in the room, and the man was staring at him and the woman was screaming, and his father’s arms were crossed; The friendly light in his eyes gone.

It was all too much.

Keith was going to throw up, the world was spinning too quickly, the thoughts slicing into him, trapping him in that moment, and in the past and in the fact that it was,

**All. His. Fault.**

He felt his body shaking violently as he tried to free himself from the grasps of the panic and the pain. The memories and the lies, curling around him in a whirlwind of fear and confusion and darkness.

  


**"Keith?" He couldn't move his gaze from the bed.**

**"Oh Keith!" A familiar face appeared, crouched down by his bedside. Warm blue eyes with specks of gold stared at him.**

**"It's alright Keith." Another face, on the other side of the bed, this woman's hair was blonde, and pulled back into long ponytails. "You're here in your hospital room, alright?"**

**"That's right..." The white haired woman reached out a hand to rub her thumb over the back of his hand.**

**"I'll get Coran."**

"No, just get him some water. The less people the better. Coran can come by when Keith's calmed down." The white haired woman turned back to Keith when she was done speaking. "Alright Keith. What's one thing you taste?"

He opened his mouth slowly, but no words formed.

"Just nod when you're done. You're alright. You're right here. Only here."

_Smoke. So much smoke-_

He began coughing, but without the phlegm, the woman caught on.

"Alright, alright it's okay. There's no smoke, you see?" The woman gestured around the room. Keith hazily noted the clear air, and took a deeper breath.

His lungs were banging against his ribcage, demanding they run off, far away from him.

They had never liked him.

"Two things you smell, alright Keith?" She was still rubbing circles into his hand, every few seconds without an answer, he felt her add a bit more pressure.

It felt nice.

_Vanilla... Lavender._

He nodded, his chest heaving, and the woman smiled.

"Three things you hear, my dear."

_Her voice... Beeping, what's that beeping? My breathing, why's it so loud?_

Keith nodded slowly.

"Four things you can touch. You're so brave."

_Bedsheets, her thumb, charcoal pencils, Mum's mittens._

He nodded once more.

"Five things you can see. Are you with me yet?"

_Mum's scar, white walls, Hunk, Allura, the glass of water?_

The girl with the pigtails -- Romelle -- was holding out a cup of water.

"There you go, are you feeling better?" Keith nodded, taking the cup into his hands.

"I would ask what happened, but your hands are wrapped." Allura rubbed his back. "Do you want me to stay, or call your mum or Shiro?"

Keith shook his head, taking a small sip of water.

"Axca?" Keith took a deep breath, his lips pursed, then nodded.

"Alright, I'll give her a call." Allura ran a hand over his hair, flattening it back. "I'll only be a minute, okay? Drink your water." Allura stood, pat his knee, and walked to the door, gesturing for Romelle to follow.

Keith stared at his bed for a moment more, then turned his gaze to the window. For a moment, how could have sworn that he saw a dead mans face, but it was gone in an instant. Keith swallowed dryly. _Will it ever leave me be?_

 ****  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Panic Attack Summary: Keith blames himself entirely for the death of the man in the alley, as well as the kidnapping of the woman. Keith also internalizes all is guilt for being the reason his father is dead. (His dad's death followed canon: He be dead in a house fire after running back in for Keith.)
> 
> Allura and Romelle come in and help him calm down.
> 
> Whoo! 
> 
> I'm finally back! Let's hope I can keep up the writing in the coming weeks!


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